I never paid much attention to the foreign language threads. Are there no rules here? Thread hijacking is quite OK because it is a tradition? It reads like I can fake my foreign language abilities and bend and twist the agenda to suit my own sense of humor.

It says Русь (Rus), not Russia. Holy Rus. I would translate to be Ukraine.

Logged

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria

Very disappointing thread. Why do Ukrainians need to say anything (relevant/irrelevant) to degrade Russia? otherwise they would not be able to sleep well. Where is your Christian spirit, brothers and sisters in Christ?

For those who do love Russia, try to understand mentality of its people, learn about its culture, I highly recommend a wonderful book by S. Massie LAND OF THE FIREBIRD. This American author "gets" it! I'd be so proud, if I were an American ) It also easy and entertaining reading. You just go Chapter by Chapter and cannot stop.

Yours in Christ,

Natalia

Logged

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting a battle.Привнесите светлое, и тьма уидет!!!

To other offensive comments regarding lack of holiness in Russia.... Have a look at a list of Russian Saints, prophets and martyrs of the 20th century. And try to match it.... православие is true to this day and age. It is very exciting to be part of Eastern Orthodox Church. It is also hard to be a worthy member. May God enlighten us all

Logged

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting a battle.Привнесите светлое, и тьма уидет!!!

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Mr Kalina, I have been there in 2009 and I am going there in 2014. I will visit great people and great Churches. Last time it was Sergiev Posad (you must have heard of Sergius of Radonezh, a Russian Saint from medieval times. Together with Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, he is one of the Russian Orthodox Church's most highly venerated saints.)

In December 1937, Pavel Florensky (1882–1937), a Russian theologian, priest, mathematician, inventor, philosopher and engineer died in the Soviet Gulag and it is thought he was condemned by an extrajudicial NKVD troika under NKVD Order No. 00447 to be executed during the 1930s Bolshevik purges after refusing to disclose the hiding place of Sergius' head which the Bolsheviks wanted destroyed. It is rumoured that Florensky and other theologians were involved in a plot to save and hide the relics of St. Sergius. The relics were returned by Pavel Golubtsov to the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra (Trinity Cathedral) of the Lavra in 1946 when it was reopened.

Glory to God!

Logged

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting a battle.Привнесите светлое, и тьма уидет!!!

To other offensive comments regarding lack of holiness in Russia.... Have a look at a list of Russian Saints, prophets and martyrs of the 20th century.

We canonize people. Not countries/nations/whatever.

True, nobody canonizes "whatever" or "countries" .... However, we all know that St Nicholas is a 4th-century Christian saint and Greek Bishop of Myra in Lycia. Does it matter? Interestingly enough, yes! It motivates me to learn more about Greece, the country that produced this wonderful miracle-worker. I have a soft spot in my heart for everything Greek because of Nicholas. They speak his language. You might also know that he is one of the most beloved Saints in Russia. One Russian lady was asked to explain Holy Trinity and she answered, "Jesus Christ, Mother of God and St Nicholas constitute Holy Trinity" It is a joke, but ...

And so, I will post the unknown Christian martyrs "for all fans of Holy Russia" (thank you for the thread!)

One expert calculates that half of all Christian martyrs were killed in the 20th Century alone. Statistics vary widely for the number of Russian Orthodox bishops, priests and believers who died as martyrs. However, most academic studies put the number somewhere between 10 and 20 million killed. At least 500,000 Russian Orthodox Christians were martyred in the gulags by the Soviet government, not including torture or being sent to prison camps, labour camps, mental hospitals, etc.

« Last Edit: December 22, 2013, 06:36:15 PM by Fire-Bird2014 »

Logged

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting a battle.Привнесите светлое, и тьма уидет!!!

I'd like to start with a non-Russian Saint, as nationality itself does matter little in matters of Christian faith.

In 1918, the Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia was killed by the Bolsheviks.

Elizabeth was the daughter of Princess Alice of Hesse and the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England. She was a convert to Orthodoxy. Chosen as the future wife of the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the grand duchess arrived in Russia during the period when the country, under the firm rule of Alexander III, attained the blossoming of its might in a purely national spirit. With her moral sensitivity and inborn love for knowledge, the young grand duchess began an intense study of the national characteristics of the Russian people and especially of their faith which places a deep mark on both their national character and upon all of their culture. Soon Orthodoxy won her over by its beauty and inner richness which she often would contrast with the spiritual poverty of Protestantism. ("And they are so self-satisfied about everything!" she said about Protestants.)

She placed a law in her heart: that the strong bear the frailties of the weak. Love was the cornerstone of her life and all her activities. For the sake of this Love, she sacrificed herself for others, thereby fulfilling that greatest of commandments according to the Apostle of love, that we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16). she was a rare combination of exalted Christian spirit, moral nobility, enlightened mind, gentle heart, and refined taste.

There exists perhaps no more eloquent tribute to the holy Grand Duchess than the spiritual portrait so finely drawn by the late Metropolitan Anastassy:

Quote

“She was a rare combination of exalted Christian spirit, moral nobility, enlightened mind, gentle heart, and refined taste. She possessed an extremely delicate and multifaceted spiritual composition and her outward appearance reflected the beauty and greatness of her spirit. Upon her brow lay the seal of an inborn, elevated dignity that set her apart from those around her. Under the cover of modesty, she often strove, though in vain, to conceal herself from the gaze of others, but one could not mistake her for another. Wherever she appeared, one would always ask: Who is she who looketh forth as the morning, clear as the sun (Song of Solomon 6:10)? Wherever she would go she emanated the pure fragrance of the lily. Perhaps it was for this reason that she loved the color white – it was the reflection of her heart. All of her spiritual qualities were strictly balanced, one against another, never giving an impression of one-sidedness. Femininity was joined in her to a courageous character; her goodness never led to weakness and blind, unconditional trust of people. Even in her finest heartfelt inspirations she exhibited that gift of discernment which has always been so highly esteemed by Christian ascetics…”

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

December 8 marked the 76th anniversary of the marytric death of Priest Paul Florensky

Pavel Florensky is one of the most extraordinary intellectuals ever to emerge in the Russian speaking world (and the competition is formidable), yet outside Russia he is almost completely unknown beyond a small community of Slavists and theologians.

"Pavel Florensky was without doubt one of the greatest Christian geniuses of the twentieth century, combining theological and philosophical depth with exceptional brilliance as a theoretical and practical scientist and a keen awareness of the cultural and artistic currents of his day — all this extinguished in the brutality of the Soviet prison camps. Here at last is a biography based on extensive study of Florensky's correspondence as well as his books and essays. It should establish his reputation definitively, both as a thinker and as a Christian martyr." — Archbishop Rowan Williams

He has not been canonized as a martyr, even though he was shot by Bolsheviks. he was accused of creating a non-existent counter-revolutionary organization and pleaded guilty. he not only pleaded guilty but took the blame upon himself, in an attempt to protect others. This is the official position. People think that Fr. Pavel Florensky has entered the host of martyrs. According to the recollections of people who were with him in the camps, he did not renounce his faith or his holy orders, but remained there patiently, uncomplainingly, and kindheartedly, preaching the word of God to those who were prepared to hear it. Fr. Pavel took a a camp path to Christ.

As you know, in nineteenth century Russia the intelligentsia and nobility grew more and more carried away with mysticism and occult. Fr. Pavel never judged people, but he did firmly uphold the truth. He understood that the Lord’s ways are inscrutable and that while one person might approach the truth directly, while another might come at it in a more roundabout way.

Andrei Bely became an anthroposophist. In his letters to him, Fr. Pavel spoke very sharply about anthroposophy, but he neither rebuked Bely nor did he end their relationship. He was able to separate delusions from personality.

Occultism is a parasite on healthy human desires. Man has a spiritual need to commune with his departed relatives. This is the meaning behind prayer for the departed, memorial services, and the taking out of particles for the reposed at the proskomedia. This is the legitimate way, whereas occultism offers an illegitimate way, one leading to perdition, of communing with them outside the Church.

But the need to commune with one’s departed loved ones is natural. It follows that we should show someone with a need for occultism why the path he has chosen is wrong and dangerous. And this can be shown only if one has studied it.

In my opinion, Fr. Pavel’s works are also valuable because, in an era of the cult of rationality, they show that there are other, higher paths to truth and that when the intellect rejects faith it cannot come to know truth.

You can read his works in English "The Pillar and Ground of the Truth: An Essay in Orthodox Theodicy in Twelve Letters"Pavel Florensky

RUSSIAN religious thought is a unique modern expression of the Eastern Christian worldview. It came of age early in the twentieth century, in a period now referred to as the "Russian religious renaissance" and is known to the West mainly in the works of Nikolai Berdiaev and Leon Shestov. The nineteenth century, which experienced an incredible growth in the monastic population, witnessed a creative encounter between the monasteries and the artists and intellectuals, reflected, for example, in the works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Florensky himself wanted to become a monk.

To give you an idea of his writing:

Liturgy, for Florensky, was the "heart of human activity," for it expressed the two worlds, human and divine, of what he called homo liturgus.8 With the secularization of life, "cult," Florensky believed, branched off into "culture," whose activities are "secondary and express human nature one-sidedly." With his firm belief that liturgy was humanity's "primal activity" and his focus on the symbolic meaning of liturgical texts Florensky enabled the development of modern Orthodox liturgical theology.

"The more massively and metaphysically crudely and archaically we conceive religious concepts, the more profound will the symbolism of their expression be and therefore the closer we will come to a genuine understanding of strictly religious experience. This compressed, densified character of religious concepts characterizes our entire liturgy . . .The liturgy is the flower of Church life and also its root and seed. What richness of ideas and new concepts in the domain of dogmatics, what abundance of profound psychological observations and moral guidance could be gathered here even by a not very diligent investigator! Yes, liturgical theology awaits its creator." Florensky.

The ultimate value of The Pillar and Ground of the Truth rests in the quality of its cosmic vision of love and the richness of its variegated texture. It is this vision and texture that come from the heart of the culture of Russian Orthodoxy. - Richard F. Gustafson

Avril Pyman wrote a fascinating book "Pavel Florensky: A Quiet Genius: The Tragic and Extraordinary Life of Russia" Available on Amazon

Logged

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting a battle.Привнесите светлое, и тьма уидет!!!

I can write in Russian but who can read it Looks like English is the preferred language. People here are supposedly "fans of Holy Russia" . This is why I think it is a good idea to post info on Russian saints or non-Russian Saints from Russia. It explains why I am a fan of Russia This country is amazingly rich when it comes to Holy figures. If you disagree with me posting here, I will start a new thread on this topic. Russia as third Rome, or something like that. Let me know what you think, Mr Kalina. Blessings, N

Logged

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting a battle.Привнесите светлое, и тьма уидет!!!

I can write in Russian but who can read it Looks like English is the preferred language. People here are supposedly "fans of Holy Russia" . This is why I think it is a good idea to post info on Russian saints or non-Russian Saints from Russia. It explains why I am a fan of Russia This country is amazingly rich when it comes to Holy figures. If you disagree with me posting here, I will start a new thread on this topic. Russia as third Rome, or something like that. Let me know what you think, Mr Kalina. Blessings, N

This is official moderator's directive. This section is purposed for discussions not in English. If you want to discuss things in English go to Other Topics for example, start a thread "Why I love Russia" and you can post it there.

If you ignore this request and keep posting in this section in English without any willigness to participate in discussions in Russian or about Russian language you will receive official warning.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.